Just a Dream Away- The Imagineering Thread*Are you curious, imaginative, dedicated?

[marypops!]

You can complain to the author on Twitter...

 

[AliceinHalloweentown]

It's fine.. I bet she thinks the Ghost Host is him too though

Master Gracey is really just Yale Gracey, but they changed the name of the "Dorian Gray" portrait to make it seem like its Master Gracey.

 

[marypops!]

She posted a reply to someone on Amazon:

"Thank you for sharing your feedback, A reader. As the author of the book, I would like to assure you I researched every detail thoroughly using a variety of resources and that, at the time the book went to press, it was factually correct. All facts were re-checked in the final proof stage. Because of the nature of book publishing, things do have a way of changing from the time the final proofs are sent to the time the book hits the shelf. This is unavoidable and is addressed in the book's introductory pages.

No fact was left unchecked and the shadow you mention in your review as 'not happening' was pointed out to me personally by a Cast Member.

I spent countless hours in the parks researching the book over the course of several years. I spent a great deal of time speaking to Cast Members and getting original quotes and thoughts from the Imagineers and other key people themselves, and I can assure you the text is original. As with all guidebook-style publications, some information can be found through other sources, including online, simply because the content 'is what it is' so to speak, but that does not lessen their value as a new and unique resource.

I can also point out that there is plenty of original material which I received first-hand from a number of different Imagineers and I believe that does set the book apart from anything you can find elsewhere."

 

[AliceinHalloweentown]

Eh. Whatever, I won't dispute it- but I'm well versed in the Mansion, it was the first Disney thing I became obsessed with.

But you can ask 10 different CMs and get 10 different answers.

 

[marypops!]

No official Haunted Mansion story. Wasn't that said in the book? I forgot... I think my favourite section is on Expederest, because it talks about how far they went to theme it.

 

[AliceinHalloweentown]

Yeah, there's no official backstory to Mansion, but there are some things that are just plain WRONG, too. xD

The portraits in the attic all have different names, because they're all different husbands of Constance. (She's had 5)

The corpse in the stretching room is the Ghost Host because he says "There's always MY way", and the Ghost Host isn't Master Gracey.

 

[::Snow_White::]

Just popping in.

Have any of you watched Randy Pausch's the last lecture? He was a disney imagineer and was diagnosed with cancer. His lecture was about achieving your dreams. It was very inspiring, also very sad.

He died in July of 2008. I suggest you watch it, I found it on ItunesU one day, very good lecture.

 

[AliceinHalloweentown]

Yep, I've watched it
He was temporarily an Imagineer for DisneyQuest, but he chose not to continue in the company. But he was very proud of it, I believe in the video he's wearing his name tag?

However, he is honored in Fantasyland:

 

[marypops!]

I think I may have to seek out my book now, because I remember the things you said were wrong to be in the book...

I shall also see that lecture if I find it on YouTube.

 

[AliceinHalloweentown]

I think I may have to seek out my book now, because I remember the things you said were wrong to be in the book...

I shall also see that lecture if I find it on YouTube.

What I said were the right things, what it says in the book is that Master Gracey can be seen in the portraits in the attic and that he's the corpse.

 

[marypops!]

Took a look through, and I see what you mean. Although I had read somewhere else on the DIS that the corpse was Master Gracey...

 

[AliceinHalloweentown]

Took a look through, and I see what you mean. Although I had read somewhere else on the DIS that the corpse was Master Gracey...

It's not, though, its a very common misconception (which is stupid).

During the HM refurb, a sign was posted on a fence outside the Mansion.

The sign was a note from the Ghost Host, and it was signed "Master Gracey, Your Ghost Host".

Within 3 weeks, they had painted over the "Master Gracey" because it was a BIG mistake.

So Master Gracey =/= The Ghost Host. The Ghost Host is definitely the corpse because, he alludes that to escape, he hung himself. He (the Corpse and Ghost Host) is believed to be Hatchet Man (a portrait in the Corridor of Doors):

Because the corpse is wearing similar clothes, and obviously the noose.

 

[marypops!]

Interesting. I don't know enough about the Mansion, obviously

 

[AliceinHalloweentown]

And I know too much xD

It was my obsession with The Haunted Manion (which came on very randomly) that led to me being ovsessed with All Things Disney, which led to me realizing I need to be an imagineer

 

[marypops!]

Interesting. Something I don't think you've mentioned, what did you think of the refurbishment in 2007 on the ride?

 

[AliceinHalloweentown]

I think its excellent, truly, wonderfully excellent.

I'm not quite a fan of Constance, her projection is a little obnoxious, and the overall theme of her is too macabre for the humorous-Haunted Mansion.

However, they cleaned up the ride amazingly. Prior to the refurb, the HM was in horrible shape, to the point where there was no sound/just static in some of the doombuggies.

The new scene the added (Escher staircases), is awesome! It fits in perfectly! And floating Leota is very cool, as well as the updated projections from her.

The refurb definitely put the WDW Haunted Mansion on top.

 

[AliceinHalloweentown]

Also, to settle a long debate: These paintings ARE the Ghost Hosts visual incarnation. The Ghost Host is NOT Master Gracey. Master Gracey is the formal portrait hanging above the Foyer Fireplace at Walt Disney World and now in the Portrait Hall of Disneyland. A piece of concept art has named this portrait (seen above) as the Ghost Host as drawn out by Marc Davis himself.

^So there you have it.

Also, Imagineers get offended when you suggest the corpse is Gracey, because Yale Gracey the imagineer was actually murdered D:

 

[marypops!]

Interesting. Sad that he got murdered. What does the escher staircase look like?

 

[AliceinHalloweentown]

Someone took this with a flash, but it looks much better in show lighting conditions:

(there's projected footprints going up and down the stairs)

 

[AliceinHalloweentown]